As Dovepaw padded into the camp, her brother, Splotchedpaw, sprinted up to her.

"I got taught how to hunt, look, I caught a mouse!" He lifted up his paw to reveal a little grey mouse dangling from his large claws. Dovepaw nodded. There was something else she needed to do. She padded towards her mother, who was sharing tongues with her mate.

"Yes, Dovepaw?" Spliteye mewed.

"Dad, is it true you were once a loner?" She asked, her heart pounding uncontrollably. Exchanging looks, Spliteye finally replied.

"Yes, Dovepaw. But I proved my loyalty, and so will you and your brother." Spliteye replied solemnly. Stonegaze flicked her tail dismissively as Bluepelt called Dovepaw over.

"Yes, Bluepelt?" Purred Dovepaw.

"Your brother learned how to hunt. Would you like to?" Bluepelt questioned happily.

"Sure!" Dovepaw purred, ears twitching in excitement.

~

"What do you smell?" Bluepelt meowed.

"Mm . . Bird . . M-mouse?" Dovepaw's tail flickered as she drank in the salivating scent of prey. "I also smell . . . . . ShadowClan?"

"Shadow . . What?" Bluepelt remarked. Drinking in the air, he sighed. "Yes, of course." He mowed grimly. "Redstar is battling with Tricklestar and Dovewing. Luckily, Stripedclaw is with him." Dovepaw winced at the name of her brother's mentor. He had grown close with him, and would be heart broken if he never came back. But the risk of losing our leader's life, but surely even StarClan would not go that far!

"Don't worry." Bluepelt reassured her, almost reading her thoughts. "Redstar is strong. He still has seven more lives!" Seven more? Seven? He had already lost two lives! Dovepaw thought anxiously. The next moment they heard a shrill scream and scented the familiar-muscular-striped-warrior. Stripedclaw! Dovepaw thought urgently.

"Where's Redstar?" Bluepelt hissed.

"He left to join the rouges!" Insisted Stripedclaw.

"So you are our leader?" Guessed Dovepaw hesitantly. The small clearing was silent.

"No! Mind your own business, little cat!" Retorted Stripedclaw.

"Why not? What's-" Bluepelt interrupted.

"Hush!" Lowering his voice, he added; "what did Redstar tell you?" Stripedclaw glanced around, before confessing. "He told me . . He told me that the savior of thunder will light the path-of-paws, and the moon will speak to her at dusk." Finished the warrior. "What could it mean?"

"I'm not sure . ." Said Bluepelt. "But if a wise leader like Redstar himself—even if he left us—told us that, it must be true."

~

"Cats of ThunderClan! Stripedclaw told me that Redstar left to join the rouges, and that he was declined leader. I'm yet to choose who is fit for the role." Crowpelt, the old medicine she-cat yowled." She hesitated for what seemed like moons. Her eyes flickered to a certain cat. "Stonegaze, your kits have left the nursery, and you want nothing more than to save your Clan. StarClan honors you for your honoree and cleverness, and we welcome you a full leader of ThunderClan." Her tail twitched, silencing the Clan.

"Im honored, I truly am. And I will fight the smallest mouse to the largest monster for this Clan." He whiskers twitched. "And so would all of you." She meowed as she gazed over her two kits, Dovepaw and Splotchedpaw. Her eyes said it all. My dears, battle is just a mouse-length away, please don't leave me. Dovepaw nodded to her mother wearily, tranced by her gaze. She then glanced at her father Split-eye, who stood proudly at the edge of the crowd. Even though she knew death and bloodshed was yet to come, the forest made this moment feel as it they really were at peace.